Pride
by The Drifter
Summary: A celebration of love featuring the Sailor Senshi with guest author tiffanywillow. A series of 7 drabbles in recognition of Pride month. Surprisingly, here be shoujo-ai and umm...social commentary I guess? Red - Rei. Orange - Minako. Yellow - Haruka. Green - Makoto (by tiffanywillow). Blue - Ami. Purple - Hotaru. [COMPLETE]
1. Red - Rei's Laundry Day

**Pride**

 _Red - Laundry Day with Rei_

 _"Traditional or not, love was love."_

* * *

Red, red red. Rei could see nothing but red.

Every single frigging thing in her laundry was red. Her shirts were red, her underwear was red, and worse of all, her formerly white kimono was now red.

The same red as the hair ribbon she'd eventually found tucked away inside her favourite shirt. Rei had her cell phone out and her fingers automatically scrolling to 'Aino, Minako' the instant she found that ribbon. There was only one explanation for this.

Minako picked up on the third ring. Rei unleashed her considerable fury over the airwaves.

"MINAKO-CHAN!"

"Huh? What? Rei-chan! Uh oh. What did I do now?"

"Your hair ribbon! Hidden in MY shirt! I just did my laundry. My miko robes are all red now! Do you know how _expensive_ those are?"

There was an audible gasp on the other end of the line.

"OOPS! Ohmigods! Sorry! I didn't think that would happen!"

"Of course you didn't! Unlike you, I actually DO my laundry on a regular basis! What were you thinking anyways?"

"I thought it would be romantic! A little surprise for you. You know, like a favour?"

"How is this doing me a favour?"

"No, no. Not like that. I mean a _favour_. Something a lady would give to her knight back in the day. It's supposed to be sign of love!"

"Still not following Minako-chan." Rei huffed more out of habit than irritation at this point. "I'm no knight, and believe me, you're no lady."

Minako laughed. Rei could imagine the dismissive wave of her hand based on that laugh.

"Details, details. The important thing is that it's a promise. What I'm trying to say here is that no matter what happens, I'll come back for that ribbon. It ties us together, even when we are apart. You know, like fate."

Rei's jaw dropped. She had not the words.

Amazing how much mixed mythology and symbolism Minako could cram into one breath. Amazing how little thought she gave to such things as "tradition" and "social conventions". Amazing how happy Rei felt looking at the red ribbon again. Seeing the world from Minako's crazy perspective was a trip in and of itself. Rei fell in love all over again.

That's her girl. Traditional or not, love was love. Even though she was a total idiot sometimes, Minako made her happier than Rei ever realized she could be.

Before she knew it, Rei was grinning like an idiot herself.

"Besides," Minako's prattling continued throughout Rei's silent reflection "...do you remember what we did with that ribbon last night?"

The normally unflappable Hino Rei blushed hard enough to match her laundry. She did remember.

Amazing what happens when love and passion find their way to each other.

* * *

 _A.N._

 _Happy Pride Month/Week/Day everyone!_

 _So begins a week of shoujo-ai with The Drifter, with two upcoming special guest chapters by my IRL wife, tiffanywillow._

 _The following 7 drabbles are dedicated to the entire LGBT+ community (allies, that means you too). Hopefully, that includes pretty much everyone._  
 _I legitimately dream of the day where the community really does include everyone. Until then, keep reaching for that rainbow!_

 _Cheers,  
-Drifter._

 _Up Next: Minako's Little Orange Book._


	2. Orange - Minako's Little Black Book

**Pride**

 _Orange - Minako's Little Black Book_

 _"Love was love. It wasn't a choice."_

* * *

Minako flipped through her little black book. It time to get a new one.

Well, technically, it was a little orange book, but same difference. It was a list of names. A diary of all the crushes she'd ever had; all the romance she'd ever dreamed of.

Minako often flipped through her diary when her senshi duties became overwhelming. Sometimes she needed a reminder of who she was behind the mask. She had kept this book since she was 13. That was years ago, but the memories still seemed fresh.

The diary began the day she realized she had her first crush on someone. She was so excited by the idea of being in love that she'd run out to the shop to buy a journal. Such an important event needed to be _documented_ . Her many adoring fans would want to know all about it when she grew up to be a famous idol after all.

The first entry was dedicated Higashi, a second year boy on the basketball team. It ended on a hopeful note.

' _Dear Diary, I am going to give Higashi my love letter today. I'm so excited I feel like I could do anything at all. Wish me luck!"_

She never did get around to giving him that letter, but that last statement still turned out to be surprisingly on point. She met Artemis instead and transformed into Sailor V for the first time. Magic was real. She really could do anything at all. It was the best feeling in the world.

The other shoe dropped soon after. Higashi turned out to be an agent of the dark kingdom. He was her first kill as well as her first crush.

Ugh. That was a morbid thought. Minako turned the page on that chapter in her life and found that things didn't get much better. Next few pages of the book were ripped out. Minako didn't need to read them to know what it was she'd tried to erase from her life.

Ace Kaitou. She was there for his last words too.

 _'You will be hopeless when it comes to love for all eternity. You'll always choose duty over love.'_

Minako ran a finger over the fuzzy edges left behind. Ace made love sound so either/or. She didn't want to believe in that prediction, but then it really was a self fulfilling prophecy. Duty always came first. Minako wouldn't have it any other way.

The next few entries confirmed it.

She chose duty over Allan. He loved someone else, and Minako knew she had somewhere else to be.

She chose duty over Asai. A simple high school romance might have been nice, but Minako sadly decided that it wasn't wasn't for her.

She remembered thinking then that it was time to give up writing this silly little diary. Keeping diaries was for ordinary girls. Minako knew that she wasn't normal by any stretch of the imagination. She was doomed to her fate. She felt depressed enough at the time that she actually debated retiring as a senshi.

Lucky for her, the fate threw her a bone that night. Nothing like a diamon attack to put things in perspective.

Sure, her relationships might be doomed from the start, but Minako couldn't give up on love. She couldn't live with herself otherwise. Why fight to save the world when there was nothing to fight for? She refused to be defined by what she was. She wasn't Venus, or Sailor V. She was Aino Minako.

...and Aino Minako was going to find love, come hell or high water.

Her diary continued. The next entry was 'Tenoh Haruka'.

Tenoh Haruka had walked into her life in a twirl of cherry blossoms. He was perfect. Who the hell _wouldn't_ have a crush on Tenoh Haruka? Cool, suave, and drop dead gorgeous. It didn't matter that he turned out to be a she. Minako didn't notice that at first and to her mild surprise, it didn't actually make a difference. Haruka was damn sexy either way. There was however, a much bigger issue. Michiru: the equally drop dead gorgeous girl Haurka was always with. Those two were in love. Capital letters L-O-V-E. Whether or not they acknowledged it was between them. Minako backed away from that hot mess in the making in a hurry.

Those were hectic times. Looking back at all the entries in her little orange book, Minako noticed a pattern. All her previous "romances" were all on her own terms. She loved them because she wanted to, and stopped when she wanted to move on. In the end, she always made a decision between love and duty.

That was all years ago.

She was with Rei now. Rei was the exception. Being with Rei was as natural as breathing, and frankly, just as vital. Minako learned that it wasn't love or duty, one or the other. Duty was duty. Love was love. It wasn't a choice.

Minako closed her journal. She didn't need it anymore. She knew exactly who she was.

She was Aino Minako and she was, without a doubt, madly in love with Hino Rei.

* * *

 _A.N._

 _Day 2 of our pride drabblefest focuses on the Goddess of Love herself._

 _Up next: Yellow - Walking on Sunshine_


	3. Yellow - Haruka's Walking on Sunshine

**Pride**

 _Yellow - Walking on Sunshine_

 _"...next time, don't assume, especially not when someone is specifically telling you not to. Just go with it. They know themselves better than you do."_

* * *

 _thump_

"WAHHHHHHH!"

Haruka put down her chamois and poked her head back into the house.

"Everyone ok up there?"

The question was yelled up the stairs over the familiar sound of Chibi-Usa's wailing. Haruka was reasonably sure that Chibi-Usa was fine. Really. Wailing was some kind of a certified Tsukino family trademark. Just another normal day in the Tenoh-Kaioh-Meioh-Tomoe-etc household. Haruka returned to her task of wiping down her 4 wheeled baby.

Awww hell.

She should probably go check on the kids. Someone had to be a responsible adult here. Haruka came in from the garage and ran up the stairs in a blink of an eye.

Sure enough, Chibi Usa was sprawled out flat on her face. Hotaru looked embarrassed for her friend. Haruka wasn't quite successful in suppressing her laughter.

"Dare I ask?"

Hotaru shrugged and pointed at the patent leather high heels hanging loosely off Chibiusa's feet.

"She wanted to learn how to walk in heels like a lady."

ChibiUsa bounced up from her faceplant indignantly.

"Yeah! Like a lady! Mama has this graceful way that she walks and I just wanted to be like that. This is harder than it looks! I need heeeellllp."

"Michiru-mama should be home by dinnertime." Hotaru reached out a hand to pull her best friend off the ground. "We could ask her then if you'd like?"

Haruka raised her eyebrow at the two girls.

"Um. Hello you two? I'm right here. I can help!"

"Really Papa?"

"Sure. Why do you look so surprised Firefly?" Haruka looked at her daughter and Chibi-Usa with a critical eye. "Ok. First of all, we need to get something that fits you properly. Secondly we need to work on your posture. You are both slouching a bit there. Who's shoes are those anyways?"

Hotaru looked a bit sheepish.

"...Setsuna-mama's. We raided her closet."

"Yikes. Don't do that. She's very particular about her clothes and how her closet is organized." Haruka stopped a moment to mentally catalogue her own closet. "Ok. I think Michiru has a pair that's more your size. Hang on. I'll be right back."

Haruka left and returned several minutes later holding smaller pair of turquoise pumps. She was also wearing her own pair of sunshine yellow stilettos.

"See, there's a trick to it. Heel, toe, heel toe, and shorten your stride a bit. Make every step count."

She walked a few paces and executed a neat turn to demonstrate her point.

"Wow! Haruka-papa! I didn't know you knew how to walk in high heels?"

"Why wouldn't I? I told you I could help."

"Well- I mean...I don't know." Hotaru stuttered awkwardly before she apologized "Sorry. I just assumed."

"It's ok honey. I understand why you did. People can be so particular about clothing and such. For the record, next time, don't assume, especially not when someone is specifically telling you not to. Just go with it. They know themselves better than you do."

"Yes papa."

"Excellent. That's my girl."

Haruka gave her daughter a quick hug before continuing the lesson.

"Alright then, listen up. ChibiUsa, this goes for you too. Truth is, high heels are horribly uncomfortable, I don't want you wearing them now because they are horrible for your posture and you're still growing. But if in the future you like them, I won't judge. Just make sure you are wearing them because they make you feel good and not because you think you are supposed to. Otherwise, it doesn't work. The most important thing to pulling off the high heel look is being confidence. Really, that's biggest thing. You have to be completely comfortable with who you are inside. Understood?"

The girls both nodded. Haruka tossed the the smaller pair of shoes to Chibiusa with a wink.

"There ya go. Have at it. Come down in a bit for dinner yeah? Scrambled eggs sound good? I'm thinking breakfast for dinner tonight."

* * *

 _A.N._

 _Day 3 of our pride series brings us questions of Haruka and her gender identity. Whatever she identifies as, she's still our Haruka. Our ever confident, car loving, papa-of-the-year Tenoh Haruka._

 _Quite frankly, Haruka herself said it best:_

 _"I'm not sure what ordinary happiness would be… but I don't think of my current self as abnormal. What I am now is what is closest to my true self. I have something more valuable than ordinary happiness. I guess."_

 _\- Haruka, (Season 3, ep 11 - Retire from the Sailor Senshi? Mianko's Concerns")_

 _Cheers,_

 _-Drifter._


	4. Green - Makoto's New Life

_Drifter's Foreword:_

 _This chapter was guest written by my IRL wife tiffanywillow (who can be found right here on fanfiction dot net as "tiffanywillow"). I am damn lucky to have married someone who not only tolerates my Sailor Moon fan fiction obsession, but actively joins in (her stories include 'Ami Interrupted" and "Tabula Rasa", so on, so forth). I am_ _luckier still to have married an all round awesome woman._

 _Ok, now I'm just bragging. Anyways, on with the story..._ _  
_

* * *

 **Pride**

 _Green - Mako's New Life, by tiffanywillow_

 _"How can one love if one wasn't true to herself?"_

* * *

Makoto placed her new plant in the center of the pot. Gently, she scooped the moist dirt on top of its roots. She hummed to herself as she worked. This little guy was special. A hellebore plant - Christmas Rose. Mako was thrilled to have found one with the flower buds still closed. This one was a late-bloomer. Makoto had no idea what colour the flowers would be and she couldn't wait to find out.

Makoto took a step back and admired her window garden. It was a rainbow splash of colors set in a backdrop of evergreen leaves. Whatever her new plant turned out to be, it would fit in somewhere. Her flowers all bloomed on different schedules anyways. Makoto liked having a constant splash of colour to warm up her home. It was something she had found oddly comforting back when she lived alone. The colourful plants made her home seem less empty.

Makoto smiled. That was a thing of the past. She lived with Ami now. Her life was now definitely far from empty.

As if on cue, Mako heard the sound of a key turning in the front door. Ami walked in and stopped when she saw Mako waiting in the foyer.

"Welcome home love! You're back early?"

"Um…" Ami looked at Mako sheepishly. "I was ….um…"

"What's that behind your back?" Mako noticed that Ami was not very discreetly trying to hide something.

"Ah, I guess the cat is out of the bag. I was going to surprise you with this." Ami revealed the objectshe was trying to hide behind her back. It was a very familiar looking potted plant. " I saw it on the way to work and I just couldn't resist. _Helleborus torquatus._ It's an evergreen flowering plant. It reminded me of you. I traded shifts with someone so I could come home and plant this. I'd hoped to get here before you got home, but ah well. Surprise anyways!"

Mako broke into a wide smile. "Thank you, Ami. Well, she won't be lonely then, because I also got one for myself today." She gestured to the garden. "But I definitely appreciate the thought. I love you, Ami." Mako bent down and pulled Ami in for a kiss.

* * *

 _Several days later_

Mako woke to the smell of food. She opened her eyes and squinted. Sunlight filled the room, warm and brilliant.

"Ami?" Mako made her way slowly to the kitchen. The blue haired girl was bent over the stove, looking all serious. She was frowning as she stared at a funny shaped pancake. Mako walked up and wrapped her arms around her tiny girlfriend.

"Good morning, Ami. Awww…are you are making heart shaped pancake?"

"Not really. They are supposed to be round. They look like ink blot tests to me now." Ami turned and poked at the pancake again.

Mako chuckled and patted Ami's back. "It's okay. I am sure it's still tasty."

"You are making me nervous. Go away…breakfast will be ready soon," said Ami as she half shoved Mako out of the kitchen.

It was kind of a special occasional that she wasn't the one making breakfast. Mako didn't know what to do with herself, so she wandered over to her window garden.

A mix fragrance of flowers wafted through the air. She gasped with delight when she saw that her new hellebore plant had bloomed. It was green as well. Mako moved the flowerpot so that her hellebore would sit next to the open one that Ami had given her. Gently, Mako traced her fingers around the flower petals. It never ceased to amaze her that plants were so resilient. Their branches could be cut off and replanted. In time, it would grow into a new plant. These little guys were known to have survived different landscapes and could withstand winter temperatures. Beautiful, delicate, yet strong.

"Do you like them, Mako? They remind me of you." Ami sat down her tray of food and came over to join Mako.

"Oh? How so?"

"Well, they are beautiful, like you. They are strong and adaptable plants that will be green year round. Did you know they are frost resistant? In some areas, some hellebore species can survive in temperatures as low as -18 C? The flowers can bloom, even in the snow. You, Mako, are the flower amidst my winter blue." Ami leaned her head against Mako's shoulder.

Mako was speechless. She pulled Ami in and wrapped her arms around the tiny girl. Some days, Mako still found it hard to believe that she and Ami had made it. Both of them had scars and baggage from their early childhood. Both had run, for years, away from their true feelings. Until one day, tired and exhausted, Mako finally stopped.

It wasn't like Mako was born strong. Life had made her strong. Deaths and trauma made her the woman she was. Mako remembered that she stopped crying at her parents' funeral. At a young age, she already learned that in order for her to survive, she had to be tough. So Mako learned to take care of herself and fend for herself against bullies. Then, she found out she was Sailor Jupiter. It was like a rebirth, where Mako discovered that her well of strength ran deeper. Protector and guardian to the Princess, Mako took on her destiny head on. Battle after battle, she never caved.

When it came to her love life though, Mako couldn't be more scared. She had known she was different the moment she hit puberty. For someone that was always frank and honest, Mako hid that secret from herself. With her true self shoved all the way to the back of the closet, Mako went on a relentless search for her ideal man. She wanted a traditional family, one that she lost in that plane crash.

Then, Ami came along. Mako remembered that day like it was yesterday. She was holding a black cat and blushing furiously. Who was that girl? Mako remembered asking herself that. She made the excuse of bending down to pet the cat, so that she could be closer to Ami.

"Ami…." Mako leaned down and gently kissed Ami's soft lips. "You are the reason I am strong. Before meeting you, it was so easy to not have to see that part of myself. You made me see the truth. How can one love if one wasn't true to herself? You gave me the courage to come out of the closet."

A single tear rolled down Ami's cheek and she quickly wiped it away. She flashed a big smile and she hooked her hands behind Mako's back. "I think we pull each other out of our own closets. I was afraid that if I stayed there any longer I would miss out on a whole life with you."

Mako picked up the tiny blue hair girl and Ami let out a surprising yelp.

"Well, we're here now. Let's get living." Mako leaned concluded that thought with a kiss.

* * *

 _Guest Author's Notes:_

 _How can one love if one wasn't true to oneself?_

 _Coming out is the rites of passage for people in the LGBTQ community. It's painful, it's scary but it's necessary for our own survival. When I came out to my parents 10 years ago, I thought I would die. The pressure from my parents to mold me back to normal led me down a very dark path. Yet, I survived. 10 years later, my parents are now accepting of me and they embraced my partner as well. 10 years later, I am still here and living the life that is closest to my true self. Love took on a whole new meaning when I was courageous enough to be myself._

 _I did not know I could be that resilient. I did not know I would have the strength to keep on living whilst under the dark clouds of depression. Coming out not only allowed me to be who I am, but allowed me to start living._

 _So, come out, come out, wherever you are…and have faith that at the end of the torturous tunnel, you will find love and resolution._

 _Happy Pride!_

 _\- tiffanywillow_


	5. Blue - Ami's Imperative

**Pride**

 _Blue - Ami's Imperative_

 _"...there was so much potential in this world. Every scrap of love stood against hate. Everyone had a choice."_

* * *

The little blue screen of the Mercury Computer scrolled through article after article. Words flashed by seemingly on repeat.

 _...killed in shooting..._

 _...found dead in..._

 _...corruption...civil unrest...extremism...terror...war..._

Ami's eyes followed, trying to read without understanding. Night after night, Ami went though this selfsame masochistic ritual of trawling through news sites, internet forums and other media sources. It was her Senshi duty to seek out any potential issues and investigate. Sometimes, mysterious disappearances really were dimensional warps and sometimes violent unexplained deaths were really youma related. Her Computer could thankfully sift through a vast majority of the information, but at the end of the day, human intelligence was still needed to spot any patterns.

Rei and Michiru had their methods, she had hers. Not for the first time, Ami regretted her abilities. There was so much hate in the world.

 _Really, this is what we've been fighting for?_

It would be easier to just turn a blind eye to everything. That would certainly be better for her sanity at any rate.

Ami kept reading. Over the years, the senshi had stopped a few incidents and saved a few lives based on these leads. Ami supposed that was something she should be proud of, but sometimes, those few lives saved seemed like meaningless drops in a sea of human misery. All natural 100% human self inflicted misery.

Oh the humanity.

 _Breaking news: Death toll climbs in nightclub fire. Arson confirmed. Hate crime suspected._

A surge of anger flared up hot and red. Ami ground her teeth to choke back the frustrated scream that threatened to spill forth.

The world didn't deserve to be saved. Let it burn. Let it all burn. It looked like it was headed that way on its own anyways. All she had to do was...nothing. Nothing worked. An almost comforting numbness settled over the rage as Ami finished with the news and moved on to the message boards.

At that moment, Makoto's toothbrush muffled voice floated over from the bathroom. "Coming to bed soon love? It's getting late."

"I'll be there in a minute." Ami didn't look up. The words were out of her mouth automatically.

There was a gargle and a spit followed by a quick flush of running water. Mako's voice came through again a bit clearer. "Hey, are you ok?"

"I'll be there in a minute." The same words again. Same tone, same inflection. Ami heard footsteps and then suddenly, there were arms wrapped around her.

"Come to bed, Blue. You're not ok."

It was always little things that got through. The minty smell of toothpaste, a warm hug, that nickname. Gentle reminders that life goes on. Ami leaned into the embrace. The cold indifference faded back at Mako's touch. She could feel it. Warmth. Kindness. Love. Those were all real.

If she could feel this, then anyone could. Every person on Earth had the same capacity for love as she did. That was the beauty of human nature.

Multiplied everyday over billions, there was so much potential in this world. Every scrap of love stood against hate. Everyone had a choice and every action had consequences. For all the terrible things that happen day in day out, love was still possible.

It wasn't too late.

Maybe the world was worth fighting for after all.

Ami closed the computer and followed Makoto to bed. She would be back at this again tomorrow night.

* * *

 _A.N._

 _Apologies. Stream of consciousness ahead._

 _*sigh* I promised myself I wouldn't do this, but yeah. This story got a little more serious (and quite frankly, more blunt) than I had intended. Without going into specifics here, yes, certain real world events were on my mind as I wrote this story._

 _I'm not trying saying "go out there and be a saint" or anything like that. That's not very realistic. We aren't Sailor Senshi, and we don't have the superpowers needed to save the world (poor Ami, she actually does. Talk about pressure!)_

 _Anyways, all I'm saying is beware of the trap of being indifferent. It doesn't help. When the choice comes up, err on the side of kindness. It doesn't always end well, sometimes, being kind SUCKS. Still, that's a principle I try to stick to at any rate._

 _*gets off the metaphorical soapbox*  
\- Drifter._


	6. Purple - Hotaru's Growing Pains

_Drifter's Foreword: This is another chapter guest written by tiffanywillow. I'm lucky enough not to have first hand experience with the themes discussed in this chapter, and so I am not going to try to write a story about it. However, I do this this is in important subject and a discussion of LGBT issues for Pride Week couldn't avoid this elephant in the room. Without further ado, on with the story:_

* * *

 **Pride**

 _Purple - Hotaru's Growing Pains by tiffanywillow_

 _"It gets better"_

* * *

Hotaru clenched her fists and tried to hold back her tears. Kyoto and Yoko, the two most popular girls at school stood in front of Hotaru. Yoko held up Hotaru's purple backpack and sneered as she dropped it to the ground. _Splat._ It splashed into the mud. The girls let out a laugh.

"Awww…your backpack is dirty now. Who's going to wash it now? Your mommy? Or your other mommy?" Kyoto pretended to rub her eyes and let out fake crying sounds. "Wah..mommies…"

"Your family is disgusting. You are disgusting. I don't like seeing your face in the hallway. So, you better turn and run the other way the next time you see me." Yoko approached Hotaru slowly and hissed her threat.

Hotaru tried to count slowly backwards from ten and hoped it would ease her urge. Her urge to drive her fist into that girl's face and punch the bigotry out of that girl. Hotaru held her tongue and her fists, and waited until the girls walked away. They were not worth it.

The sun was beginning to set but Hotaru slow down her walk even more. She could see the house now, just a few more blocks away. She didn't have an excuse yet for why her backpack was muddy. Hotaru thought of just telling the truth, but she didn't want to see them sad.

It was Setsuna-mama that opened the door. Hotaru quickly ducked her head to hide her tears.

"Hotaru. You're home late. Where did you go?" Michiru-mama appeared in the hallway, wiping her hands on her apron. "Papa was just about to go out and look for you."

"Michiru, it's okay. She's home now." Haruka-papa walked over and knelt down in front of Hotaru. "Firefly, what happened? Why are you all muddy?"

Hotaru couldn't hold back her tears anymore. She shoved past her parents and dashed toward her bedroom. _Bang._ The door slam shut and Hotaru plopped down on her bed. She knew the bullying was escalating but she didn't know who to talk to. It all started two weeks ago….

* * *

That morning, Setsuna-mama had come into her bedroom with a brand new uniform. She was so proud. "Good morning, firefly. Are you excited about today?"

Hotaru jumped out of bed and hurried to get dressed. She was very excited. With her aging acceleration stopped, she was finally able to join kids her age and go to school. Despite her past memories of bullies from her old life, Hotaru was hopeful that this time would be different. No longer burdened with Mistress Nine in her body, perhaps she would just be like any other kids.

Papa drove her to school and she walked into her new class with her head held high. Somehow, the rumours had already started. With Michiru-mama being a famous musician, and Haruka-papa being a famous race car driver, people came from the other classrooms just to gawk at her: the weird kid that lived with three women.

Curiosity soon turned into something else.

One morning, she walked into her classroom and saw the hateful words carved on her desk. Kids started avoiding her in the hallway and Hotaru was forced to spend most of her lunch breaks by herself.

Gym class was the worst.

"Eww…I don't want to change in front of her. She's a pervert. I mean, her parents are just so weird…" One girl complained to the gym teacher. Hotaru was promptly asked to change in a separate room from the rest of the class.

Hotaru initially went to her teacher and asked for help. Yet, she didn't do anything. Boggled down with her own prejudice, the teacher merely told Hotaru to keep her head down and just ignore the bullies. Day by day, Hotaru took that advice and white knuckled through school. Whatever slurs that were thrown in her face, whatever shoves and pushes that were dished out, Hotaru kept up her brave face.

* * *

This had been her life for the past two weeks. Hotaru kept it hidden as best she could. It wasn't Mama and Papa's fault after all. Unfortunately, there was no way to hide the mud that the other kids loaded her with today.

Michiru gently knocked on the door and then push it open. "Honey…" She came over and put her hand on Hotaru's shoulder.

"Don't ask, Mama. I don't want to talk about it." Hotaru curled herself up into a ball.

"What did they do to you?" Michiru frowned. "Hotaru, you can tell us anything. This is your safe space."

Hotaru sat up and looked her mama. "Mama, were you ever teased for being gay?"

Michiru closed her eyes and sighed. She had been dreading this scenario for her daughter. "Yes I was. Papa too."

"Why are people so mean anyways? It's not right. How did you deal with them?"

"I beat the shit out of them. After that, they left me alone." Papa said from the doorway.

"'Ruka!"Michiru shot an angry glance at her partner. "No, Hotaru violence doesn't solve any problems. It only adds to it. In my experience, people act out because they they don't understand. They try to prop themselves up by stepping on things that are different. That is not an excuse, just a explanation."

"I just want them to stop! I told my teacher but she didn't do anything. The adults are supposed to help us and protect us, but they didn't do anything." Tears started flowing again as Hotaru remembered how helpless she felt.

Michiru picked up Hotaru and cradled the child in her lap. "Don't stop. Keep telling the teachers. Keep telling different teachers. You will be surprise to find that some people are not as awful as you think. Also, some of the kids in the school might be allies, or they might be gay themselves. My point is, don't give in and don't give up. I am so sorry you have to endure this hate. I won't sugar-coat this. It will be a long journey, Hotaru, but I know you are a strong girl. It gets better."

Haruka and Setsuna came in and held on to Hotaru's hands. "And we will always be here for you, little firefly. We love you so much."

Hotaru wiped her tears and looked at her family. Her heart swelled as she felt the love surrounding her and from love, she felt new strength.

* * *

 _Guest Author's Note:_

 _The definition of bully is a person who uses strength or power to harm or intimidate those who are weaker. I disagree. We are not weaker, we just don't know our strengths yet. Years of intolerance and the pressure to conform had made us seem weak._

 _Growing up, I was bullied for being a girl, for being Chinese and then later, for being a homo. Endless torment and being ostracized made me question my own worth. School was painful and every day, it seemed like the end of the world._

 _Fast forward a few years, things started to get better. I got stronger. Bullies will always exist in this world, let it be at school or in work places. The difference is, we will get stronger and we will defend ourselves._

 _If you are still going through it right now, the important thing is to tell someone. Like Michiru said, sometimes people will surprise you, in a good way. So, keep having faith in humanity and march forward. One day, we will all make it…._

 _-tiffanywillow_


	7. White - Usagi's Sunny Day

**Pride**

 _White - Usagi's Sunny Day_

 _"Because eventually, love will win"_

* * *

Usagi bilnked hard. The sun was shining almost too brightly. The way it reflected off the white sand was starting to make her eyes hurt. Aside form that, she was happy. It was a beautiful summer day, made all the more beautiful by the fact that she was surrounded by her friends. Usagi sat up on her beach blanket and rummaged through her bag for a pair of sunglasses.

A squeal of joy somewhere behind her caught Usagi's attention instead. She turned around to see Hotaru giggling loudly as prepared to launch a kite.

"Run, Papa! Run! Faster!"

Haruka definitely took her daughter's commands to heart. She took off like the wind and the kite soared to the sky. It was amazing... right up until the point there Haruka slipped and landed face first in the surf. Michiru looked concerned until Haruka waved a weak "thumbs up" in the air. After that there was nothing but laugher at Haruka's wounded pride, and Hotaru's loud requests for her papa to do it all again.

Up ahead, Makoto had already laid out the blanket and unpacked the picnic basket. Usagi watched as Ami put down her medical text and hurried over to help with cutting some fruit. If Makoto's hand lingered a little too long after passing Ami some strawberries, then Ami was definitely not complaining. They worked side by side in harmony. The soft smiles that bloomed whenever those two stole glances at each other caused one to appear on Usagi's face as well.

The gentle love between Ami and Mako was matched by the ferocity between Rei and Minako. Their game of beach volleyball was quickly getting out of hand. They seemed to be egging each other on to new levels of athletic talent. Even though she had seen it before, Usagi was still amazed by Minako's grace as she flipped over to return Rei's pinpoint accurate serve. Not to be outdone, Rei hammered the poor ball back to the opposite side of the court. The game got more intense as it went on. The way those two were playing, one would think they were playing for an Olympic gold medal or something.

They both seemed to be having a good time at least. Usagi knew that Rei and Minako wouldn't have things any other way.

She then shifted her gaze to Mamoru. He was working hard to set up the barbecue. He wiped the sweat off his forehead as he blew on the embers. His handsome face was decorated with streaks of black. Usagi sighed happily as she looked at the love of her life.

She then laughed as Rei noticed Mamoru's difficulties and strode over to take charge. Rei plopped down next to Mamoru and took over the fire. Minako smoothly gathered up Rei's hair and tied it into a ponytail for her.

Usagi waved Mamoru over and scooted over on the blanket to make room for him.

Seeing her friends all together like this was a bit overwhelming. It was like witnessing a miracle. Usagi sighed and buried her face into her Mamo-chan's white shirt as soons as he sat down.

"Usako, are you alright?"

Usagi smiled up at her own true love.

"Look at everyone. I'm so happy right now I can't stand it. Life is beautiful."

Life could also be difficult at times. Being Sailor Senshi aside, she knew just how much her friends had all gone through to get here. Days like these, it made all the fights and sacrifices worthwhile. Even at the worst of times, Usagi never had any doubt days like these would come around.

Because eventually, love will win.

* * *

 _A.N._

 _Well, that's the end of our series today. Happy Pride everyone!_

 _Thank you all for reading_

 _Cheers,_

 _-Drifter and tiffanywillow._


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